that daubed the unfortunate professor from head to foot; "good
gracious, what a scare you gave us; we thought you had been attacked
with knives and terribly cut."

There was a trough of water near by and to it the boys conducted the
professor, who was half-blinded by the stinging Spanish dish, which is
a sort of pepper stew. It took a long time to clean him, during which
quite a crowd gathered and laughed and jeered, but at last they had
the luckless scientist looking more presentable.

"Now tell us what happened?" asked Frank, as they started back toward
the city in a hired "volante," or native carriage, that had been
passing, by good luck, as they finished their cleaning process.

"Well, my dear boys, it's an outrage. I will see the mayor or the
president about it, or whoever is in charge of those things in this
land. I saw a fine looking specimen of a hopping sand-toad going into
that house and I dashed in after it with my net extended. As soon as I
rushed in I upset a sort of baby carriage that stood by the door. Two
children, who were in it, started howling in a terrible manner. I know
a little Spanish and I tried to explain, but before I could do so the
mother threw a whole pot of that hot stuff over me and called me a
kidnapper, a robber, a thief. Upon my word I think I may be considered
lucky that she didn't shoot me."

"I think you may, indeed," agreed the boys, who could hardly keep from
laughing at the comical sight the professor presented with his head
cocked on one side and all daubed with the traces of his "hot bath."

Early the next day the Brutus passed a steel hawser to the Southern